Night photography - capturing cityscapes
If you are planning on doing some night photography I have a few planning tips you will need to keep in mind prior to taking your evening shots:
First, you need a good viewpoint;
The second thing you will need is either a tripod or a solid base to place your camera on. Your viewpoint will depend a bit on what kind of shot you are after. I usually try to aim for somewhere that is above the ground (a set of steps, for example), but not always. There are many times that the best photos are taken at ground level.
I recommend a tripod or solid base simply due to the fact that your camera’s shutter will be open for several seconds and you definitely want to make sure that your camera is absolutely still during that time.
If you are using a tripod you will also want to be sure you secure your camera using the screws provided. If you simply can’t find a solid surface to place your camera on you can always try propping it up with something like a bag or jacket.
Once your camera is in place, make sure your shutter speed is set to a good few seconds. Start with about 15 seconds.
If you are unable to control the shutter speed, set it to “night” mode.
Once you are set up (camera on a solid surface, self timer primed), you are ready to shoot.
Before pressing the shutter button you must first observe your scene. Is everything in it that you are hoping for? If you are looking to get streaking headlights do you see any traffic around?
Once you have everything in place you can finally press the shutter button.
If you set the timer it should begin to count down. Please be aware that if you are waiting for something to appear in your scene (i.e. headlights) you need to remember that your shutter speed will have to count down first - time for this.
When you hear the shutter click it is actually opening up so you want to wait. And wait, and wait . . . until it closes again. Remember, depending on the length of time you set it for, that this could take a few seconds.
If you don’t see the preview right away on the LCD there is no need to worry. Due to the long exposure time digital cameras usually take longer than usual to process the photo.
If you are looking for some ideas on what to photograph here are a few things that I have used which make a good night photography shot:
Neon lights Streaks of car headlights and tail lights Available light For both of these you need to plan a little in advance. Find an area where you can safely photograph neon lights.
Find your solid spot (or put your camera onto a tripod), and then take a few shots. Because neon lights flash you will need the shutter to be open for some time in order to catch all the flashes.
And for photographing streaks of car headlights and tail lights - find a spot with a lot of traffic, but again, be safe in your choice of locations.
A tip is to try and get something in the background as well, usually streaks of light on their own can be somewhat boring!
Then take your shot.
The longer the shutter is open, the more streaks you will capture. And of course, the more traffic there is, the more streaks will appear too!
The available light also has a part to play in making a good night photography shot.
You will find that there are times when a scene looks its best when you set it amongst inky-black skies. By playing around you will also find that there are times when a little light works best, so photos just prior to dark really sets in are worth a try too.
The best bit of advice is to try both and see which captures the effect you are after best.
You also will want to play with various shutter speeds since there are times you will find that a 10 second exposure gets the look you are after. Sometimes you may need up to a minute.
Practice, and you will soon get a feel for what you will need for any given situation.
